The Phoebe I know is about two people ‘making it’ somewhere, and one party anticipating the other’s anxiety about it. Here the band likens it to travelling. Noting the gap between spontaneously ‘wanting’ to go somewhere (“let’s go where it lands”) and the troubles somebody who dislikes travelling faces.
The motif of “Well that’s the Phoebe I know” is the thematic backbone to the conflict between the singer and “Phoebe”, it sounds both familiar and foreboding, like the singer knew the ‘trip’ was never going to happen.
The lines “And you never wanted to go back there again” suggests potentially that Phoebe’s history prevents them from going “there” again, whether that be a time and place or a state in a relationship.
The singer knows it’s not going to work. The final verse especially is about the anticipating and eventual reminiscing of Phoebe’s reluctance to travel despite wanting to.
Really, nothing happens or changes in this song. Though be it a trip or a ‘next stage’ in a relationship not happening can perhaps be one of the most revealing experiences one can have with somebody.
The Phoebe I know is about two people ‘making it’ somewhere, and one party anticipating the other’s anxiety about it. Here the band likens it to travelling. Noting the gap between spontaneously ‘wanting’ to go somewhere (“let’s go where it lands”) and the troubles somebody who dislikes travelling faces.
The motif of “Well that’s the Phoebe I know” is the thematic backbone to the conflict between the singer and “Phoebe”, it sounds both familiar and foreboding, like the singer knew the ‘trip’ was never going to happen.
The lines “And you never wanted to go back there again” suggests potentially that Phoebe’s history prevents them from going “there” again, whether that be a time and place or a state in a relationship.
The singer knows it’s not going to work. The final verse especially is about the anticipating and eventual reminiscing of Phoebe’s reluctance to travel despite wanting to.
Really, nothing happens or changes in this song. Though be it a trip or a ‘next stage’ in a relationship not happening can perhaps be one of the most revealing experiences one can have with somebody.